A TEENAGER who stabbed another man with a lock knife nine times in Oxshott has been given an 18 month youth rehabilitation order.

Tyrone Brown, 17, of Foss Road in Tooting, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Friday December 9.

The court heard how on May 6, Brown and the victim had been at a party at a house in Oxshott and had left together to catch the last train back to London.

According to the prosecutor, Richard Bendall, there was some history between the two men, who were both intoxicated.

They were approaching Oxshott station when the defendant said "don't start" and launched an assault on the victim, who thought he was being repeatedly punched.

He had in fact been stabbed a number of times and was left bleeding.

According to the victim, he then took off his belt and hit the defendant a number of times.

However, Brown says that he was hit with the belt before he stabbed the victim.

The victim was taken to hospital and required stitches for his injuries.

Brown claimed that the two and a half inch bladed knife was used as part of his college training and employment as a tree surgeon.

Judge Peter Moss called the defendant's father, Henry Brown, to explain why his son would need to use a lock knife in his trade.

Mr Brown, also a tree surgeon, said he had given his son the knife to use at work.

He explained that the lock knife was useful to cut rope if another tree surgeon became stuck or tangled in a tree.

Mr Brown was asked if there would be any circumstances when his son would need to take the knife out with him, to which he replied: "There would be no need for him to take it out at night."

Defending, Susan Rodhan told the court that the defendant has never been in trouble before and has shown remorse for what he did.

She said: "He has a positive outlook; he has worked hard to establish himself in the business."

Paul Donoghue, who has worked with Brown during the period of his Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) before sentencing, said the defendant had "responded very well" to the programme.

He said: "He was doing work experience and is at college. He has excelled the minimum hours by at least 10 hours a week."

Summing up, Judge Moss said: "What you did was take a knife out with you which you had in your pocket. It is a very unpleasant looking knife. I don't understand the mentality of a father that gives his son a knife like that. He could not explain to me why you need a knife like that."

The judge sentenced Brown to an 18 month youth rehabilitation order, which requires 25 hours of constructive activity a week and a three month curfew between the hours of 9pm and 6am.

The knife, which was shown in court, has now been sent to be destroyed.